Ex-Chelsea right-back Dan Petrescu is preparing for his first match as coach of Dynamo Moscow against VfB Stuttgart in the Europa League on Wednesday, the first of three Europa League ties involving Russian clubs over two days.
Both of the other playoff first-leg games this week take place Thursday, with big-spending Anzhi hosting Dutch side AZ Alkmaar before CSKA Moscow take on AIK in Stockholm.
Dynamo have lost all five of their Russian league matches so far this season, including a 4-0 thrashing by Spartak Moscow that forced the resignation of Petrescu’s predecessor Sergei Silkin earlier this month.
In the last round, Dynamo beat Scotland’s Dundee United by the imposing aggregate score of 7-2, but that hides a first-leg in Scotland that Dynamo drew 2-2 and would have lost, had Alexander Kokorin not scored a last-ditch equalizer.
Bookmakers have installed Stuttgart as the firm favorite for the match, which will see a clash between two Germany strikers - Dynamo’s Kevin Kuranyi picked up 52 caps for his country between 2003 and 2008, while Stuttgart’s Cacau has 23 since debuting for the national team in 2009.
Anzhi and their Dutch coach Guus Hiddink have swept past opposition from the Netherlands already in the competition, beating Vitesse Arnhem in the last round 4-0 on aggregate after earlier beating Hungary’s Honved 5-0.
AZ finished fourth in the Eredivisie last year, three places and 12 points above Vitesse, and represent a step up in class for Anzhi, although they will be without defender Niklas Moisander, who has joined Ajax.
United States international striker Jozy Altidore leads the line for AZ and has warned against Anzhi's main strike threat Samuel Eto'o, but said Sunday he was confident AZ defender Nick Viergever could contain the Cameroonian.
The match will be played in Moscow because Anzhi's home region of Dagestan has been declared unfit to host European matches by UEFA due to security concerns.
CSKA enter at the playoff stage and are overwhelming favorites against AIK, although the Swedish team surprised Lech Poznan of Poland 3-1 in the last round.
AIK are fourth in the 2012 Swedish season after 19 games, two places below where they finished in 2011, while CSKA are sixth in the Russian league with nine points from five games this season.
CSKA are also in the midst of an injury crisis, without any first-choice strikers available after Seydou Doumbia and Tomas Necid picked up injuries.
